Nick Miller, 70, of Port Richmond, is accused of kicking his former landlord's Yorkie so hard that the dog needed to be euthanized.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 70-year-old ex-con kicked his former landlord's Yorkie so hard that the dog needed to be euthanized at an animal hospital, police allege.

Nick Miller -- who has three drunken driving convictions on his record -- was drunk when he kicked the dog, Remy, in the ribs at about 11:30 a.m. June 24, according to a law enforcement source.

The dog's owner, a 59-year-old woman who was renting an apartment to Miller in her Willow Road East home in Westerleigh, was watering the yard when she saw Miller kick the dog as it lay on a set of steps, the source said.

Right after the kick, Remy was "shaking, howling, unable to eat and unable to walk," according to court papers.

Remy was euthanized two days later at South Shore Animal Hospital in New Dorp, the law enforcement source said.

Remy's owner reported the incident to police, and as the investigation went forward, Miller found himself in police custody on an unrelated matter.

On Monday afternoon, police allege, he hopped into a motorized scooter, inside the Pathmark at 1351 Forest Ave., and drove off. The theft of the $1,700 scooter was caught on store video, court papers allege.

Police arrested him Tuesday morning in front of Pathmark, and after he was taken to the West Shore's 121st Precinct stationhouse, he was charged in connection with Remy's death as well.

Remy's owner was not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Miller has a criminal record dating back to at least 1995, when he was arrested, and later convicted, on charges of driving while intoxicated, the law enforcement source said.

He was given a conditional discharge, but was caught driving drunk again in 2001 and 2012, the source said. The 2001 arrest led to a nine-month jail sentence, and the 2012 arrest, which took place that Dec. 14, ended with his being sentenced the following February to six months in jail, three years of probation and alcohol treatment, the source said.

Miller also has an attempted possession of a forged instrument conviction on his record, stemming from a 2002 arrest, according to the source. He was sentenced to three months in jail as a result, the source said.

He is now charged with misdemeanor torturing and injuring animals, as well as fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth- and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny, according to information from District Attorney Daniel Donovan's office.

The fourth-degree grand larceny and stolen property charges are the most serious offenses he faces -- both are felonies punishable by maximum sentences of one and a third to four years in prison if he is convicted at trial.

Miller, who now lives on Seymour Avenue in Port Richmond, was arraigned Wednesday in Stapleton Criminal Court and ordered held on $2,500 bail until his next court appearance Friday.